Microsoft has Xbox Live integration into Windows Phone 7. Sony has PlayStation Suite support for Android, and its own Xperia Play hardware. But what about Nintendo? Does Nintendo ever want to jump into the mobile market?

A translated transcript from Nintendo's 71st annual general meeting of shareholders reveals that Nintendo did at one point consider the possibility. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata explained that "if we had never considered combining a mobile phone and a handheld device, we would be negligent."

But while Nintendo has researched the possibility of making a gaming phone, Iwata harps on the challenges that the company would face if it were to make one. "Mobile phones are subject to monthly fees and we need to consider how well this would fit with game devices or how we should balance these aspects. Adding to this, mobile phone companies are generally divided by countries and when running a business on a worldwide basis, we need to consider in what conditions can we partner up with mobile phone companies around the world," Iwata said. The mobile market is heavily separated, and it's obvious from the reaction to Sony's partnership with AT&T for the PlayStation Vita, that a one-size-fits-all model rarely works for that industry.

"Please understand that we are still researching these areas," Iwata added.